Automotive News Europe — 2024-01-02
Automotive Industry
French new-car sales rose by 15% in December, as the market continued its yearlong recovery from semiconductor shortages and the coronavirus crisis. Volume brands with at least a 50% increase included Suzuki, Cupra, Tesla, Fiat, Mercedes, Seat and Opel.
There were 181,011 passenger cars sold in the month, with 20 selling days (compared with 22 selling days in December 2022), industry group PFA said.
For the year, the French market – Europe’s third-largest after Germany and the UK – was up by 16%.
EV market share rose to 17% for the year, from 13% in 2022. Plug-in hybrid penetration was 9%, a slight increase from 8% in 2022. Diesel market share fell below 10% (9.7%) for the first time in decades.
Suzuki, Cupra, Tesla surge in December
The fastest-growing brands in December were Suzuki, with a 142% increase; Cupra, up 111%; Tesla, up 77%; Fiat, up 58%; Mercedes, up 51%; and Seat and Opel, both up 50%.
Among domestic automakers, Renault brand held the top spot for the year, with 277,914 sales, an increase of 18%, behind new models that included the Austral compact SUV, the Espace and Rafale midsize SUVs, and the Scenic compact full-electric SUV.
Peugeot was second with 241,512 sales, a decrease of 1.7%, and Dacia took the third spot from Citroen, as sales rose 20% to 156,390 on the strength of newer models including the Jogger compact crossover and an overall rebranding. Citroen fell to fourth with 125,932 sales, a drop of 3%.
The Renault Clio was the best-selling model for the year, with 97,471 sales, followed by the Peugeot 208 at 86,263 sales. The Dacia Sandero was in third place, followed by the Citroen C3 and Peugeot 2008. The best-selling EV was the Tesla Model Y, in eighth place.
Newer models that had the biggest impact in their first full year of sales were the Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV in 11th place, the Renault Austral in 13th., and the MG4 in 23rd place.
EV incentives cut for top models
Looking ahead, changes in the rules for electric vehicle incentives will penalize cars made in China. Some of the most popular models, including the Dacia Spring, the MG4 and the Tesla Model 3, are no longer eligible. Sales of those models surged in recent months, with the MG4 up nearly 500% in December 2023 compared with December 2022.
France has had some of the most generous EV bonuses in Europe in recent years, with buyers able to combine scrappage incentives for rebates that could total more than 10,000 years.
Another government program that could affect EV sales is a plan for lower-income buyers to lease EVs for less than €100 a month.